Malhar's POV in past
Malhar was looking for Kalyani outside the school where buses stood. But surprisingly, no one was there.
"K...Kallu, w...where are y...you?" Malhar called out.
"M...Ma... Malharji, here we are," a number of male voices replied.
"W...where is M...Kalyani?" Malhar asked them. He wondered for the millionth time what wrong he had done to Atharv and gang that they wouldn't leave him alone.
"Look at his trembling legs," Atharv jeered.
"I think he'll faint soon with terror," Deepak laughed.
All the other members of Atharv's gang laughed and Malhar was cornered by them.
"P...please l...let me go," Malhar pleaded.
"We will, bro," Atharv put a hand on his shoulder, "Just speak Kallu's full name without stammering."
"K...Kal...."
"K...K...Kalya...Kalya."
"Kalyani De...De...Deah..."
They showed Malhar an inverted thumb, "We said to speak her full name. How can you dream her making your girlfriend when you can't properly even speak her name? Not that she's much of a catch either. She just has booksmarts, but her screw here," Atharv said, pointing at the side of his forehead, "Has lost somewhere. She's so despo for getting a boyfriend that she's trying her pathetic flirting skills on this loser."
"Y..you," Malhar punched Atharv in the face. It was not that Malhar had stammering issue since he began speaking nor did he use to be so timid. But ever since he lost his parents in a suspicious car accident, he developed an unknown fear that someone is out there to kill him. Any violence or aggressive behaviour triggered panic attacks. Sarthak Kaka making him work on these issues by encouraging him to take small-small steps but with his scant income, he could not afford treatment at a well-known psychiatric faculty.
Now, that Malhar had punched Atharv, he started hyperventilating. He could not sense his own body. Everything was growing dark around him. Malhar saw someone charging towards him with closed fist, but he didn't feel anything on his face. He could feel a shoe on his belly, but he was feeling no pain. He couldn't sense anything until he heard Kalyani's voice.
"You dare touch him again, and I swear this is your last day in the school compound. Look at him, you have beaten him so much," Kalyani was close to tears.
Despite trying his best, Malhar couldn't get up. Now all the pain came rushing into his body. Malhar's body was broken. He was broken. He felt like the protagonist in the movie Lovely bones who could only see things but not do anything. The only difference was that she was dead and stuck in afterlife whereas Malharwas alive by medical standards.
"Kallu, are you so despo to be in a relationship, you don't even realise he's using you? He likes only Simran, it's you who are playing the fool here."
"Seriously, Simran is just his junior in college," Kalyani attempted to reason.
"Have you even noticed Simran? She's so driven and ambitious. She is the second year topper despite coming from a poor village background. Whereas you are just an aimless spoilt kid. Simran is Malhar's type, not you. But you are so desparate..."
"I'm not desperate for anyone. Who said I love Malharji? It's just that I pity him. Why would I get into a relationship with someone like him when I can marry an ambitious, good looking person who can at least stand for himself."
That's it. Malhar thought he must be dreaming all this. There's no way Kallu would speak about him like that. But little did he know, the worse was yet to come. Atharv and gang would punish him in a more disgusting way for raising his hand on them and Kallu...well Kallu.
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